Paying for petrol without having to head into the kiosk has been a huge help to many motorists, especially those looking for a quick splash and dash.

And for many customers at Asda's Wallington store, it's become part of their normal routine.

Gone are the days when you had to queue up behind people who decided to do their weekly shop at the petrol station, after walking across the wet and windy forecourt, diesel fumes filling your nose.

However, new information has now been revealed about paying at the pump transactions - and it could make you think again about using the system - particularly if you're paying using a certain type of account.

Here's all you need to know about 'earmarked' fees - and how to avoid seeing a much higher than expected expenditure on your bank statements courtesy of this handy guide by the Mirror Online.

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Has my money gone?

The supermarkets emphasise that they don’t get that money.

ASDA said: "This is an industry wide policy change from MasterCard and Visa in coordination with customer’s banks to ensure that customers have sufficient funds in their accounts prior to buying petrol.

"This amount is ‘ring-fenced’ by banks but immediately made available again to customers.

"The money is never taken or held by Asda."

Here’s how Sainsbury’s explains it: “The ‘earmarked’ value is never actually taken by the bank, or touched in any way by Sainsbury’s.

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"It’s put into a ‘holding’ position before it’s replaced by the amount you paid for your fuel, and then disappears from your statement.”

MasterCard also argued that this has been introduced to ensure drivers can’t buy more fuel than they can afford.

A spokesperson said that if drivers don’t have the required funds in their bank account to meet this higher figure, then petrol stations can check precisely what funds they do have available, and then dispense a lower value of fuel.

They added: “While some customers may see a request for a higher amount than the fuel they bought - perhaps on their mobile banking app - these funds are not taken from their account.

"Only the value of the petrol dispensed is withdrawn.”

Basic account holders blocked from paying

A truck driver filling his tank (Image: Getty Images)

This system has caused particular problems for the millions of people with basic bank accounts, which don’t have overdrafts.

Because many forecourts haven’t actually got round to introducing the new rules from Visa and MasterCard, which require these larger pre-authorisation checks, a number of banks have elected to block these account holders from being able to pay at the pump entirely, in a bid to stop them spending money they don’t have.

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For example, Santanderhas banned basic account holders from using their debit cards to pay at the pump, while other banks - including Halifaxand Lloyds- have banned them from using pay at pump facilities which have not been updated to meet the new requirements.

The obvious way to avoid this problem is therefore to pay at the kiosk.

Yes, it’s less convenient and you will have to sidestep the siren call of the chocolate bars, but you will sidestep any issues associated with these larger authorisation checks.